Associated Press - November 18, 2009 11:34 PM ET

PHOENIX (AP) - A Maricopa County Sheriff's detention officer has been found in contempt of court for his decision to remove a document from a defense attorney's file during a sentencing hearing.

Adam Stoddard was ordered by a judge Wednesday to hold a news conference by Nov. 30 to apologize for his actions or otherwise report to jail by Dec. 1.

But Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio says the judge's order would be defied because Stoddard was doing his job.

Maricopa Superior Court Judge Gary Donahoe ruled that Stoddard acted in contempt when he pulled two pieces of handwritten paper out of attorney Joanne Cuccia's file on Oct. 19.

Stoddard testified earlier this month that he saw four words - "going to" "steal" and "money" - in a document sticking out of the file that led him to believe Cuccia's client posed some sort of security threat.

Information from: The Arizona Republic, http://www.azcentral.com

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